Barrel head



AQ L. WHlTON Sept.. 17, 1935.

BARREL HEAD Filed March 8, 1955 Patented Sept. 17, 1935 APH.

BARREL HEAD Arthur` L. Whiton, Evanston, Ill., assigner toV `Chicago Mill and Lumber Company, Chicago,

Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application March S, 1935, Serial No. 9,916

9 Claims. (Cl. 217-78) .Thisinvention relates to wire bound barrels and theI like,V and moreparticularly to an improved barrel head adapted to be quickly inserted in positionfto close the upper end of the barrel withoutrequiri-ng the use of fastening nails or o-ther devices -for holding .the barrel head in position.

vIt is an object of -this invention to provide a barrel head including slidably intertting head sections adapted after being'inserted in the top ofy a barrel tobe separated with the assistance of a bridge piece serving to prevent the separated sections from dropping into the barrel `and also acting as a support fora wedge piece adapted to be sprung into position to close the opening between the side sections of -the barrel head and lit over the bridge piece. l p It is also an object of this invention to provide a barrel head wherein one ofthe side sections of the barrel head is-provided with a dovetail bridge pieceadapted to slidably interfit in a dovetail groove of another'barrel head section to permit said sections to beslidably adjusted in connected relation withone another to` permit a Wedge section to be sprung into yposition between the side sections in interiitting relation with the bridge plece.

It is a further object of this invention to providea barrel with an improved barrel head comprising `side sections and an intermediate wedge section, said side sections having a bridge member intertting the same for the purpose of assisting in holding the side sections in place during the assembly of the barrel head, and acting as a support for the wedge section when inserted between the side sections to tightly close the end of the barrel.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a barrel with an improved barrel head consisting of side sections connected by a dovetail means permitting slidable adjustment of the side sections with respect to one another and furthermore affording a support for a notched portion of an intermediate wedge section when inserted in position to ll the gap between the side sections to close the barrel.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawing.

; The invention (in its preferred form) is illustrated in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a barrel provided. with a barrel head embodying the principles of this invention. y

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line II-II of Figure 1, illustrating the insertion of the intermediate wedge section in 5 dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a top plan view illustrating the barrel head side sections in abutting relation before being moved into intertting engagement with the barrel staves.

Figure Il is a View similar to Figure 3 showing the barrel head side sections moved apart and into engagement with the barrel staves with the bridge piece serving to prevent the barrel head side sections from dropping into the barrel before 15 being wedged into position.

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of `the barrel head intermediate wedge section removed from the barrel.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sec- 20 tion through the barrel head taken on line VI-VI of Figure 1.

As shown on the drawing:

The reference numeral l indicates a plurality of parallel barrel staves or slats which are connected one to another in spaced relation by means of wire bands 2 and upper and lower hoops 3 to form a wire bound barrel or crate. The inner surfaces of both ends of the barrel staves l are provided with transverse slots or grooves 4 for 30 the reception of abarrel bottom at one end of the barrel and a barrel head at the opposite end of said barrel. l

The body of the barrel is first formed and is then equipped with a bottom of any suitable type. After the barrel or crate is filled the upper end is adapted to be closed by means of an improved barrel head which will now be described.

The barrel head which forms the main part of the present invention comprises a pair of side or end sections or segments 5 and 6, each of which have the undersurface thereof provided with a transverse dovetail groove l. The two segments 5 and 6 are adjustably connected one with the other by means of a dovetail connecting bar or bridge piece 8, one end portion of which projects into the dovetail groove 'l of the segment 5 and'is rigidly secured therein by means of glue or any other suitable fastening means. The opposite end of the dovetail bridge piece slidably projects into the dovetail groove "l of the barrel head segment 6, thereby permitting the segment 6 to be slidably moved on the bridge piece 8 toward or away from the segment 5.

Normally, the segment 6 is adapted to be slid- 55.

ably moved inwardly on the bridge piece 8 until the chord edge of the segment 6 abuts the chord edge of the segment 5, as illustrated in Figure 3. When the two segments are in contact with one another, as shown in Figure 3, they may be inserted into the open top of the barrel, after which the segments are slidably moved apart, as illustrated in Figure 4, with the arc-shaped edges of the segments seated in the grooves or notches 4 of the barrel staves. With the two barrel head segments 5 and 6 separated, as shown in Figure 4, said segments are prevented from falling into the barrel or becoming misplaced by means of the supporting bridge piece 8 which spans the space 9 provided between the separated segments 5 and 6.

To complete the construction of the barrel head, an intermediate T cross-section wedge section is provided. The intermediate wedge section comprises a cover or top bar I of a width greater than the width of the opening 9 and of a length slightly less than the inner diameter of the barrel. Rigidly secured or integrally formed on the bottom side of the top or cover bar IU is a middle or intermediate wedge bar I I smaller than the top bar Il! and slightly less in width than the opening 9. The bottom strip or wedge bar II is of a length slightly greater than the length of the top bar I il to form projecting lugs or tongues I 2, which when the wedge section is in position, as illustrated in Figure 1, project into opposite slots provided in opposite staves of the barrel for the purpose of holding the improved barrel head in position. To permit the wedge section II to wedgingly seat between the side segments and 6 of the barrel head, the middle portion of the lower wedge bar II is provided with a transverse groove or notch I3, of substantially rectangular shape, to permit the same to engage over the dovetail bridge piece 8, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2.

When the two barrel head segments 5 and 6 are separated and are engaged in the top of the barrel, as illustrated in Figure 4, the intermediate section or wedge unit is engaged in position as illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 2 with one of the end tongues I 2 engaged in one of the barrel stave notches 4, after which a tool, such as a screw driver or the like, I4, is inserted between the inner circumference of the barrel and the opposite raised end of the wedge member. The screw driver is then swung upwardly to cause the point thereof to slightly force the wire bound upper rim of the barrel outwardly a distance suflcient to permit the wedge member to be pushed into place so that the second tongue I2 may spring into the notch 4 of one of the barrel staves. In the closed position of the T cross-sectioned wedge section, the top bar IIJ overlaps the segments 5 and 5 while the bottom bary I 0 is wedged between said segments and seats over the bridge piece 8.

For the purpose of opening the top of the barrel, a screw driver or other implement may be used to slightly expand the top rim of the barrel in order that the one end of the wedge member may be lifted from the full line position of Figure 2 into the dotted line position, so that the intermediate section IU-I I may rst be removed, after which the two side segments 5 and B may be pushed together, as illustrated in Figure 3, to permit the at barrel head tobe removed from the top of the barrel.

' It will, of course, be understood that various features of the construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is therefore not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 5

1. A barrel comprising a body capable of being exed, a bottom therein, and a head, said head comprising a pair of segments having dovetail slots therein, a dovetail bar secured in the slotl of one of the segments and slidable in the slot of 10 the other segment, and a unitary wedge member engaged between the segments and seated over the bar, with the ends of said bar shaped to interit the top end of the barrel body upon the flexing of said barrel body.

2. A barrel comprising a body, a bottom therein, and a removable head, said head comprising a. pair of segments, a dovetail connection therebetween to permit slidable adjustment of the segments into interitting engagement with the body, a unitary intermediate section shaped to wedge between the segments and overlap the same, and extensions on the ends of the intermediate section to intert with the body to hold the head in place said section being engageable with the groove in said barrel by being pried therein.

3. A barrel comprising a body having grooves therein, and a head removably engaged therein,

said head comprising a pair of segments, a dovetail connection between the segments whereby the segments may remain connected when separated to seat in the body grooves, an intermediate section wedged between the segments and `overlapping the same, and extensions on the ends of the intermediate section projecting into the body grooves to hold the head in place.

4. A barrel including a removable head comprising a plurality of sections, a dovetail connection therebetween permitting slidable adjustment of the sections with respect to one another, and an intermediate section separating the sections and supported thereon and being grooved to engage said dovetail connection.

5. A barrel including in combination a removable head comprising a pair of segment-shaped sections having transverse `dovetail grooves in the under side thereof, a dovetail bridge piece secured in the groove of one of said sections and having slidable engagement in the groove of the other section, and a T cross-sectioned intermediate member overlapping the sections and projecting downwardly therebetween, said member having a groove therein to t over the bridge piece.

6. A barrel head comprising a pair of sections,

a bridge piece secured to one of said sections and having slidable interfitting engagement with the other section to span the space between the sections when separated, and a T cross-sectioned intermediate member projecting between the sections and overlapping the same, said member having a groove therein to seat over the bridge piece.

'7. A barrel head comprising a pair of sections having transverse dovetail grooves therein, a dovetail bridge piece secured in one of said sections and having slidable engagement with the other section, a T cross-sectioned member projecting between the sections and overlapping the same, said member having a groove therein to seat over the bridge piece, and extensions on the ends of said member for intertting engagement with a barrel when the head is in use.

8. A barrel head comprising a plurality of sections, a dovetail connection therebetween, and a.

grooved intermediate member separating the sections and seated over the dovetal connection so that said member is centered lengthwise between said sections.

9. A barrel head including a plurality of sections, a connecting means therebetween, and an intermediate means separating the sections and comprising a top member, and a narrower and longer bottom member thereon having a groove therein to seat over the connecting means for longitudinally centering said intermediate means between said sections.

ARTHUR L. WHITON. 

